Dreamweaver Festival brings indigenous Filipino culture, community to the Hudson Valley
GARDINER, NY — The Dreamweaver Collective will present Nawa Heritage Day on Saturday, October 10, 2026, from 1:00 to 5:00 PM at The Living Room at Full Circle in Gardiner, New York, as part of the inaugural Dreamweaver Festival, a month-long Filipino American History Month celebration.
Nawa Heritage Day brings together cultural bearers, artists, performers, educators, community members, and families for an afternoon centered on Indigenous Filipino traditions, living heritage, and community connection. The program highlights the diverse cultural traditions of Mindanao, with a particular focus on the T’boli Dreamweavers of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato.
The afternoon will feature traditional textiles and handcrafted pieces, cultural presentations, community dance, Filipino meryenda, traditional dance performances, and a panel conversation exploring Filipino identity, heritage, and community in America.
“Nawa is an invitation to gather, to move, to share, and to remember where our stories come from,” said Cecille Castillon-Weinstein, Founder and President of The Dreamweaver Collective who is also serving as Festival Director. “Through Nawa Heritage Day, we hope to create a space where Indigenous Filipino traditions are experienced as living culture and where people can learn from one another and build meaningful connections.”
The program will open with remarks from Cecille Castillon-Weinstein and Christina Benevento, Executive Director of Full Circle, followed by a cultural presentation by Kinding Sindaw, a New York-based organization dedicated to the preservation and presentation of Indigenous Filipino culture through dance, music, and community education.
Gardiner Town Supervisor Michael Hartner, together with Congresswoman Shirlyn Bañas-Nograles, Representative of the Lone District of General Santos City, will meet with Filipino American community leaders and lead the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the inaugural Dreamweaver Festival.
Guests will also be invited to participate in community dancing, creating an experience that welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds.
A community meryenda will provide an opportunity for guests to share Filipino food and conversation before a presentation of Tinikling, one of the Philippines' best-known traditional dances.
The afternoon will continue with a panel discussion, “Where We Are Now: Filipino Identity and Community in America,” moderated by journalist Dr. Marivir Montebon, with panelists Dr. Betina Idnay, Dr. Amelia Asperin, Naomi Genota and Dr. Marie-Therese Sulit.
The Dreamweaver Collective creates cultural programs, educational opportunities, storytelling initiatives, exhibitions, community gatherings, and collaborations with artists and cultural bearers that help connect communities in the Philippines and the United States. Nawa Heritage Day welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds, with no previous dance experience or cultural knowledge required.
Nawa Heritage Day
Saturday, October 10, 2026 | 1:00–5:00 p.m.
The Living Room at Full Circle
297 Bruynswick Road, Gardiner, NY 12525
Suggested Contribution: Contributions are warmly welcomed and help sustain The Dreamweaver Collective’s cultural programs and community work. Any contribution, in whatever amount feels comfortable, is sincerely appreciated.
RSVP: Register for Nawa Heritage Day
The Dreamweaver Collective invites the community, Filipino Americans, cultural organizations, media, and friends of Filipino heritage to join in experiencing an afternoon of culture, movement, food, storytelling, and community. (A press release from Cecille Castillon-Weinstein, president of The Dreamweaver Collective.)
